Fire Academy Preparing For 2010 Fire Season Training

The eighth annual Arizona Wildfire & Incident Management Academy will take place March 13 through 19 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott. The Academy will offer more than 40 classes to prepare firefighters for the 2010 fire season.

Approximately 700 students are registered for the Academy. While many classes are full, such as basic firefighting, openings remain in some courses. Student tuition at the academy is $70 per day, which includes all course materials, breakfast, lunch and tent camping on-site at Embry-Riddle.

For those interested in training, but unable to secure funding, the Academy also offers scholarships to offset costs.

“I believe that we offer some of the most cost effective, quality training anywhere,” said Don Howard, incident commander for the Academy. “The courses we offer range from basic to advanced and are taught by people well respected in their fields. Part of our mission at the Academy is to help prepare firefighters to safely and effectively accomplish the missions that they are asked to perform. We are proud of the training we offer and look forward to a fun and educational week for all of our students.”

Academy students include firefighters in federal, state, local and volunteer departments from many states. Besides working to provide the skills and technical expertise required to meet the challenge that wildland fire poses, the Academy also provides an opportunity for trainee assignments for those interested in learning more about incident management.

The Arizona Wildfire Academy is a non-profit organization with the mission of developing professional and safe responses in the wildland environment by offering training and education that meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards.

To register for the Academy, please visit http://www.azwildfireacademy.org